#also we might have to get two because it's a long house with plumbing on both ends that can not get frozen anyway

[batwynn]

Commissions-Open~

Hello hello! I'm opening up kind of emergency commissions once again to try to get some funds together to get a heat pump installed because we currently have no viable heat source and we're running out of time. 💀

I’m open to DnD groups, story/comic/fanfic covers, book/general illustrations, character design/sheets, adoptables, and short comics.

(I am open to discuss longer term projects, but please be aware that we’d need to work out a schedule first and foremost.)

More pricing and info can be found: here

More samples of my work can be found here.

Please feel free to message me any time to talk about pricing or payment plans! And if you can, please signal boost this post. Thank you!

[thedawningofthehour]

How is Galois living in Bella's old room? Wasn't Draxum's house destroyed by Lou Jitsu?

The short answer is not completely. I choose to believe that the destruction was mostly centered around and contained by the lab. It was a pretty terrible fire and a lot of Draxum's stuff was ruined, but structurally most of the building was fine.

I did work on making Draxum's house in the Sims 4, but I took a pause on that due to my frustration with the game's mechanics (I've barely worked on the armory they find the weapons in because the game keeps thinking it has no roof) and the difficulty of translating show objects into the game. There's no 'giant vine plant' asset like the one we see in Draxum's lab, for one-I think right now I have a mish-mash of sized up landscaping objects, some stuff from the jungle pack, and the Strangerville pod plants. It...doesn't look good. (I'm also using a lot of stuff from the Star Wars pack, which is probably the only way I'd ever use anything from the Star Wars pack) I do want to finish it because I really do enjoy building houses, but the Sims 4 and I are on another break.

But in light of that, here's a shitty drawing I did in MS Paint that shows what I'm talking about:

(absolutely nothing in this is to scale)

So my idea was that the lab was kind of the house Draxum started with, like three hundred years ago or something. His house is like a Telvanni mushroom and grows over time, so he's added on as time went on and outfitted the newer areas with more modern amenities, so I can justify him having toilets even though he bought this house before indoor plumbing was a thing. (But also like, the living room has no electricity, and Gale had to do some wiring to get power into the lab because there was no electric hardwired into the walls) The addition with the laundry room and two bedrooms happened in like the 1980s, because Draxum was hosting his niece a lot and also his sister convinced him to get with the times and buy a washing machine, so he needed a hookup for that. At first they were just places for Bella and Pax to stay when they spent the night, (more for Bella because her mom sent her to her uncle's quite a lot) but that's where they lived after their parents died. Draxum's bedroom and study are on the second floor, mostly over the living room and storage area, and the room they train in is on the third floor because I didn't know what else to put on the third floor. The stuff like the greenery, the pool, and whatever else the plot might require in the future are all on basement levels.

Oh, back to your actual question! So the lab part exploded in 2004/2005 when the turtles were mutated. The ceiling is very fucking high there, there wasn't really anything above it. The hallway and the kitchen were partially destroyed, but the rest of the building mostly just got smoke damage. Some of the stuff in Gale's room is even Bella's original furniture, because of the way that area is ventilated it actually didn't get that much smoke.

So the long story is, there's reasons for modern fire codes Drax. Though in all fairness it does look like he learned something, since his current lab seems much more explosion-proof.

[arabellaflynn]

I've been in my new place for about two weeks now, otherwise known as 'long enough to decompensate'. Despite taking apart all my standing racks and piling all my shit up in the living room, neither of the other roommates noticed I was leaving until the night before, when the Useless Narcissist asked if I was moving. 

"Yes."

"Oh, when?"

"Tomorrow."

Stunned look. "Why?"

"Because neither of you pay your rent on time." 

(Note that I had been telling them for the past two months that I could not continue fronting the rent for everyone indefinitely. The landlord insisted on having the check by the first but didn't cash it until some random time between the 15th and the 25th of the month. Both roommates had gotten around to giving me the money later and later -- for June, the Useless Narcissist paid me just over a week late, and the other one was two weeks late.)

Indignant look. "Oh come on! I paid you back every time!"

"That's not really the same thing."

Appalled look. "What are we going to do about this month?"

"Beats me."

(I might have had a more sympathetic response had he not asked me this on the second of July, having apparently assumed that I had just gone ahead and paid everyone's rent for them, so as not to bother him with piddly things like deadlines.)

I used the same movers I called the last time, because I'll be damned if I carry the heavy shit myself ever again. They were pretty surprised when they showed up. Apparently by moving company standards, I was almost psychotically prepared. What do I do when I know I'm about to move? The same thing we do every night, Pinky! Try to take over the world Buy more giant plastic bins and start heaving shit into them. It's not a complex plan. The Useless Narcissist had been unsuccessfully "moving" for like the past two and a half months and had had all of his crap heaped up in our living room the whole time; I considered asking him to shift some of it out of the way, but decided I didn't feel like dealing with the temper tantrum. The path of least resistance was buying colored duct tape for all the bins and boxes and hanging big tags on all my luggage, so that's what I did. They're green. The movers were almost confused when they brought up the giant roll of plastic wrap and realized they didn't need it, because I don't really own furniture that doesn't come apart for transport, and I'd just packed all the rat's worldly possessions into his cage and then zip tied it shut. 

Predictably, the landlord messaged me a few days later to say he hadn't gotten the rent check that month. I said I was sorry to hear that, but I didn't live there anymore, and gave him the phone numbers of the two remaining deadbeats so he could pester them for money. I have no idea if they've paid him or not, because this is no longer my problem.

The new place is back in the same area where I landed when I first moved to Boston, in a sprawling field of Edwardian houses where nothing is plumb or level. The hardwood floors are flat as a funhouse mirror. I'm a reasonable walk or bus ride from all my old haunts, and I am pleased to note that a sushi place I used to patronize is actually still around. Not that I'll be eating there anytime soon -- I bought the last couple of things I had grant money earmarked for, and I'm back to pretending I'm flat broke, just now with 2-3 months rent in savings. The groceries list is back up on Amazon now that I have a stable address again. If it lands on my porch, great; if not, I know where the supermarket is.

Cheese, it turns out, does not travel well. At all. Getting him out here was a ten minute walk to the T, three stops on the train, and a ten minute walk to the new house, and he spent all of it trying to beat his way out of the carrier with his wee little skull. Fortunately, I'd already replaced the plastic mesh in that thing with metal window screen he couldn't chew through as easily, or the Green Line might have acquired an extra rat. He also did not enjoy going to the vet that weekend to see if she had any better ideas on how to stop him going hnorp all the time, which she didn't. A lot of his discomfort was probably because outside is hot and muggy and full of grass pollen. (To be fair, a lot of my discomfort is also because outside is hot and muggy and full of grass pollen. I just have access to allergy meds on demand.) He still has a continuous sniffle, but inside a climate-controlled room it's more 'kind of an annoying snoof' than 'terrifying shortness of breath'. At this point, I've just concluded that it is what it is, he's probably going to make a hnorp noise for the rest of his life, it's probably fine.

We moved in on the afternoon of the 3rd and Cheese spent the night hiding in a box, mostly because he had thrown himself around his carrier so hard he hurt one of his feet. I tried to keep him from climbing too much, but when I opened the door on the 4th for breakfast, he scaled me and decamped on the roof of the cage, refusing to come down for love or money pudding. I don't so much care if he wants to be on the roof of his house as I want him to not throw himself off the roof of his house, and since he shows no signs of wanting to jump, I've just given up. I opened the top door and hung a strategic hammock so he could get up and down without my help. He can be tall if it makes him feel better.

The Fourth was stormy here. I spent most of the day unpacking with a migraine so catastrophic I didn't realize that was what it was until it was over, despite having to stop and lay face-down on the floor several times to keep myself from throwing up. Fun thing about migraines, they subject the part of your brain that solves problems to rolling brownouts, which makes dealing with them difficult. I just kept running through the food-water/electrolytes-caffeine-meds checklist over and over, hoping that one of those things would fix the problem. None of them did, although my attempt at dinner did teach me that there's a really good fried chicken place nearby, and Cheese appreciated the bones.

(Cheese has regained most of the weight he dropped when he went off his food during the first round of Baytril. He ate almost an entire pudding cup by himself while I was unpacking. That's 70 calories of pudding, according to the package. I don't know that he needs 70 calories total, per day. I am impressed by both his determination and his stomach capacity.

He has decided that his favorite kind, by a country mile, is butterscotch. This is a bit of a problem, because that flavor is currently unobtanium. It's been out of stock everywhere for weeks. Is the world's only source of cheap artificial butterscotch flavoring located deep in Ukraine? I do not know. The only way to get him more of it was to order a case on Amazon, so $20 of my grant money went to buying pudding for my incredibly picky free rat.)

I divested myself of surprisingly little when I moved this time. I went through the same thing I did when I moved to Boston originally, where I looked sadly at all my "fun" clothes and makeup before tossing them, and then realized that I couldn't -- I actually used that for work. I still have the nagging feeling that anything I enjoy is expendable. That's what being an adult is, isn't it? Having to choose between things you enjoy and things you need, and understanding that your happiness is less important than everything else. But I like my bins of makeup and costumes and props and electronics, and I use all of them to make money one way or another. The lack of conflict is frankly destabilizing.

The last tenant still had a king-size mattress here when I came to look at the room. They offered to get a TaskRabbit to haul it to the curb, but I was like no, no -- I don't want to move a bed either, just leave it. The most convenient solution was to just make Amazon magic a new frame onto the porch. The bed is so big. The biggest futon I ever bothered buying was a Full. I spent a whole three-tenths of a second trying to figure out which way the bed should face before realizing it didn't matter, because a King is basically square. I shoved it into a corner, put some sheets on, and built a nest. Being an adult is also getting to decide that making the bed is for chumps, and I can sleep in a pile of miscellaneous pillows and chenille blankets just fine. I'm so used to being on a Twin that it took me about a week to stop sleeping curled up on the edge.

I bought an 18" frame and it's lifted on 8" risers. Mostly I did it so I could store a bunch of luggage under there, but it also gives me almost enough space to sit upright next to all the suitcases. Which sounds like I'm trying a little too hard to be quirky until you realize I've just started a project that will eventually require me to record a voiceover, and the quietest spot in my room is almost certainly going to be underneath the giant cushion.

I have the rest of July to do pretty much whatever I want. I'm not not looking for work, but I'm aware that there isn't likely to be a lot of it until the fall season starts. Someone asked me to work a private event at the end of the month, and I actually got to sit and think about if I felt like taking the gig, rather than taking everything I'm offered and figuring out how to make it work. I'm absolutely terrified that now that I've committed to paying the higher rent, the work will all suddenly vanish. I have no idea why I think that. As soon as people realized I could run things in the tech booth, they all trampled over each other to book me. My calendar says I worked on 15 events in 16 weeks, in capacities ranging from "show up with camera" to "perform multi-hour live set" to "camp in booth and run literally everything except the lights". And I don't run the lights mainly because I don't own the widget that talks to them via USB, and I'm not really comfortable trying to work a manual board and QLab at the same time. (I was told that the software license for the USB doodad was $1000+, but I'm seeing open source hardware/software combos on Amazon for about $300ish? I don't know what the difference is, and I'm not prepared to buy one until I do.) 

Whenever I have a long stretch of time to do "whatever I want" that almost always translates to "have the breakdown I've been putting off the whole time I was required to do things whether I wanted to or not". I'm really good at just gritting my teeth and surviving/ignoring stressful situations until I can extricate myself -- see: my entire childhood -- but the downside is that when it's over I get to feel all the horrible consequences at once. It's a lot like pumping yourself full of stimulants to power through a difficult day. It works by borrowing resources from future!you to keep present!you functional. I start panicking over really random, non-sensical things, tiny problems that can be easily fixed if any of them even exist in the first place. I hate this and the only way I can really deal with it is keep it tightly locked up whenever I have to talk to people, then go home and hide until I can human again. It's not fun, but at least now I can do it in the air conditioning.

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[thecandywrites]

Kinktober Day 27- Toys

Drumroll please....featuring Craig and Iris Foster! From my Magic and Miracles FFXV AU wher Iris is the former Iris Amicitia. and now married to her literal big hunk of a man, Craig. Who is like 6'6 and 400lbs of POWER. (He is both a strong man competitor and he's the other half of Foster and Foster Construction, a construction business he co-owns with his dad, Craig Foster Senior. Craig's uncle who is his dad's younger brother- and his wife- own Fosters Designs Incorporated where they design custom homes among other things where Selena works as a house designer/interior decorator. And Craig and Iris are building their dream house. Craig doing so, quite literally with his own two hands with lots of help from freinds and family.

Fun Fact. Craig is the only man alive that makes Gladio feel small. But they're cool and good brothers in law and Iris REALLY has a thing for the big strong but sweet and gentle type. Which Craig is the epitome of that. Also, look at that RING that is Sylva giving him a sweetheart deal because if her parents hadn't been in the hospital business, they would have been in the jewlery business. And would have been just as well known as the Winstons.

A billion and one thanks to @starsandskies for her Kinktober prompts. This is short and sweet. But only two more left and it's not December yet! Yay! Even though it is the middle of November. It still counts.

Kinktober Day 27- Toys

“So what new toys did you get me?” Iris asked as she giddily looked through the box that Craig had ordered, expecting to see a new piece of exercise equipment but to her surprise and delight, it wasn’t that kind of toy. 

It was vibrator that you wore in your underwear. The pure salaciously and practically evil giggle she made was both adorable yet, strangely, exciting for her husband Craig. 

“So when did you want to try it out?” Craig asked. 

“Right now!” She said. 

“It has to charge first.” Craig pointed to the fact that it was rechargeable. 

“Dang it.” Iris grumped before she impatiently unboxed it and plugged it in and whined when the light blinked red. 

“Come on, I need help with the house anyway. We can play with it when we get back.” Craig insisted as he urged his wife out of their condo and back to the house he was building for her. The basement was already dug, the foundations were poured, the framework was in place. It was getting it’s roof and the rest of the plumbing and electrical work was already in too as the windows were now being installed. And frankly Craig thought it was pretty awesome that not only did he get the materials for this house at cost, he actually got paid to build his own house. Granted along with all the houses he was still in the process of building for his other friends and family. But he took extra pride in this one as he had made sure that Iris would be perfectly happy with it and it would be a big enough house to fit him and his extra large size.

So Iris wasn’t disappointed for long as she helped make sure all the windows were installed correctly as she could still only imagine how great it was going to look once it was all done. Because the next step was drywall then floors, then paint then finishing work and then finally moving in with all the furniture, most of which was sitting in storage because they had gotten some amazing furniture on clearance. 

Then Craig got a call on his phone as he was in another room making sure the windows were installed correctly in there too before he came looking for his wife.

“Hey Hun? Pash and Gladio want to know if we want to go out to dinner. Mom just flew back from her trip with the boys and everyone else is meeting them at the steakhouse by the airport.” Craig informed her as he had the phone held to his chest. 

“Yes, of course, that sounds great.” She beamed. 

“I might need a shower first though.” She realized as she used her shirt to wipe off the sweat from her forehead. 

“Yup, we’ll be there.” Craig agreed as he and Iris got back into his truck and quickly drove home to get cleaned up and dressed as Iris put on just a bit of makeup too while Craig noticed that the toy was now fully charged and pocketed it as he downloaded the app and paired it with his own phone while she was in the bathroom. 

“Ready Babe?” Iris asked as she exited the bathroom, looking stunning as always since she had forgone the pixie cut and really let her hair grow out the older she got.

“Yup.” He smiled as he made sure the dogs were out in the yard before they got back in the truck. 

Once they got to the restaurant, Craig stood so that Iris and the other ladies could sit and wait for their large party to be seated before Regis came in carrying Alexis while Noct had Jaxon in his carseat from the car while Ignis had the diaper bag as a backpack on his back before Iris happily picked Jaxon up out of his carseat, and happily kissed his chubby cheeks and began talking some beautiful Spanish to him that he always seemed to like to hear as Craig simply smiled proudly to see Iris do so. She was going to be one hell of a good mom. When she was ready to be of course. 

So far they were with the couples who were waiting until thier houses were done before they started to expand their families, but others didn't seem to want to wait. Gladio and Pashmina had already had a little boy and a new baby girl and Pashmina was probably going to be pregnant with baby number three pretty soon. Luche and Ada had London and Ada was pregnant again, this time with a little girl as they were still figuring out baby names. And now with Noctis and Ignis adopting two children. Thier friend and family circle was still growing. And Luna and Nyx and Crowe and Libertus were back for a visit. With Crowe bringing Raven with her as Tredd was holding her and Raven just adored Tredd and did not want anyone but Tredd to hold her, which made Tredd happy and proud to see little Raven getting so big.

But Iris didn’t get to hold Jaxon for long before he wanted his grandmother to hold him as Sylva laughed as she took him from Iris and held him and cooed to him and rocked him before he could get a chance to even get fussy. Iris happily handed him over before she came and stood next to Craig who was still looking over a menu as he talked with the other guys before she felt something in his pocket between her hip and his leg. 

“What’s that?” Iris asked as she moved her hip around to feel a little better. 

“Your new toy. It was charged when we got home. Didn’t know if you’d…” Craig began to murmur to her quietly before she slyly pulled it out of his pocket and transferred it to her own purse. 

“Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.” She excused herself with a very giddy smile as she quickly went to the bathroom before she eagerly took it out and giggled evilly before she realized she didn’t have any lube and he hadn’t gotten the remote. 

“Aw,” Iris complained as she realized what was missing. 

“Everything ok?” Luna asked when she was in the next stall over. 

“No. Craig got me a new toy but forgot the remote.” Iris answered. 

“Can I see it?” She asked as she stuck her hand uder the stall wall divider in the bathroom before Iris handed it over. 

“Oh this doesn’t need one. It has an app. Nyx and I got one of these too. Here.” She handed it back before she passed one of her little bottles of lube.

“I don’t think I’ll need that.” Iris offered. 

“Trust me dinner is going to take at least an hour, you’ll need it. Just trust me on this.” Luna insisted.

“Ok fine.” Iris grabbed the little bottle and lubed up before she used toilet paper to wipe off her hands and to hand it back so lube wouldn’t get on outside of the bottle. 

“Ok, is it on?” Luna asked. 

“Yup.” 

“And now put it in.” Luna instructed. 

“In.” 

“Good, kegal that baby to keep it in as you stand and pull up your underwear if you’re wearing any and your jeans.” Luna coached before Iris did before she flushed and then left the stall to wash her hands. 

“Ok, now, let’s download the app.” Luna said before Iris got a text from Craig. 

‘Is it in?’ 

‘Yeah’ Iris texted back before Craig grinned rather deviously and turned it on. 

“Holy fucking shit!” Iris splurted as she grabbed ahold of the counter as the first jolt of pleasure came from within. 

“Ah, I see Craig has the app already on his phone.” Luna giggled herself. 

“Yeah, fuck, how does Stella do this with a straight face?” Iris asked right as Stella herself walked in. 

“Woah, you ok?” Stella asked Iris. 

“First time using a toy in public, Craig has the app.” Luna informed her. 

“Oh! Nice, which one?” She asked before Luna whispered the answer as Iris slowly tried to regain her composure. 

“Nice!” Stella laughed. 

“How do you do this all the time with a straight face?” Iris asked as she clenched her hands to the counter as she was breathing heavy. 

“Well first of all, don’t go full tilt the whole way, have him turn it down and then build up from there.” Stella coached. 

“Ok, ok.” Iris said as she texted Craig to turn the intensity down if he wanted her to come out of the bathroom at all before she breathed in relief when he turned it down to it’s lowest setting. 

“Oh, ok, that’s much better.” Iris blew out a breath of relief. 

“And that thing stays charged for a couple of hours. Please tell me you have lube.” Stella began. 

“Yeah, I gave her some.” Luna said. 

“Well, since you’re gonna have some fun, I am too.” Stella said before she purposefully got in her purse and got her matching one on and in before she texted Tredd that she was ‘free to play’ before Tredd smiled brightly and got into his own app and turned it on to Stella’s favorite programed sequence. 

“Oh yeah, that’s it.” Stella sighed happily before she came out and washed her hands too. 

Stella, Luna and Iris returned to the group just as they were getting seated as Iris sat next to Craig and gave him a meaningful look as she sat down and just as she was starting to get used to it, he turned it up. They barely got their drink orders in as Iris was happy to use the menu as a shield and couldn’t even figure out what she wanted to eat because she was pretty sure she was going to bite her lip in half to keep herself from squirming or grinding right there in the seat and thankfully by the time the waitress was ready to get her order, Iris was able to at least order for herself. 

By the time the appetizers came, Iris was eager to stuff food in her mouth to keep her from speaking or making any other noises as she felt her breathing pattern through her nose betrayed her but thankfully, Stella was laughing and telling jokes and carrying on and keeping all the attention on her so Iris wouldn’t feel that much more exposed or observed too closely. 

When the salad came, she was in the home stretch and when Craig went to grab for his phone, she immediately grabbed it out of his hands to keep him from changing it anymore and grabbed his arm so tight she nearly drew blood from her fingernails digging into the flesh of his forearm before he moved his arm down under the table and simply held her hand as she squeezed it as tight as she could before she pretended to look through her purse for some tylenol or something because of the almost pained expression she wore.

Then her drink was refilled and she only grinded a little in her seat as she finally rode out the orgasm before she got into his phone and turned it off before she made too much of a scene and blew out a breath of relief as her cheeks flushed but the tension in her lower back finally eased.

She gave Craig a look that said if he turned this blessed thing on again, she was going to stab him with her steak knife. Which got him to snort a laugh but nod that he was going to leave it alone until she was ready to "play" again.

She gave him the phone back as he bit his lips to keep his grin from spreading too far on his face and nodded in understanding before she looked over at Luna who gave her a questioning look before Iris gave her a subtle nod and the sublte thumbs up that she had cum before Luna gave her a thumbs up and nod of solidarity as Stella simply beamed proudly.

[tmgcompanieslle]

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[fairykukla]

Season's Greedings, 2023!

Every year I try to post my Greed List (What I want for Christmas" which includes the even more vital "Do Not Want" list.

Do Want:

1. A functional dishwasher.

We have one, we've had it serviced several times, and I don't think it's ever going to properly wash dishes again. It needs to go away, a new one needs to be installed, and I have terrible decision fatigue about figuring out which one I want. I want it to wash dishes. I don't even fully understand the choices I'm faced with.

You can contribute in one of the following ways: cash or electronic transfer donations to the dishwashing fund, solid recommendations for a specific make and model, or bad "features" I should avoid.

2. Laundry on-site: I own a washer and a dryer. The washer is down in the basement, but has nowhere legit to drain. The dryer is still at my neighbors' house, in the garage.

You can either be part of the team to bring the dryer home and set it up, or throw some cash at the plumbing problem, or offer assistance to solve the plumbing problem.

Those are the Big Things. Here's the little stuff:

A handcrafted card. I'm a sucker for those, and it will be kept, treasured, and probably displayed every year for a long time.

BJD shoes. All my dolls have lost shoes due to the vinyl or adhesives disintegrating. I need all kinds of shoes, particularly in 1/4 and 1/6 scale.

Shoes for me. I need a good solid supportive pair of shoes to wear to work.

Feed my dish collections: black octagonal glass pieces are always welcome. (They say "France" on the bottom.) Also Steubenville Woodfield pieces, particularly the dinner plates which seem hard to find. All colors welcome.

DVDs: we can't stream, so I need hard copies of anything I want to see. I'd particularly like Marvel stuff (especially recent movies, I'm way behind), Leverage Redemption, anime, or something unusual that you love and aren't sure if I've seen it yet. Ditto for CDs.

Funny collectables: I still love gnomes, mushrooms, fairy aesthetic items, the Nightmare Before Xmas, Tea Party items, etc.

Cat toys. My cats like them and I love to play with my cats.

I do like shiny jewelry, but I appreciate handcrafted items the most.

Hand crafted items. Support an artisan and it's like getting two gifts in one.

I still love to get Lush gift cards. One year I got several and it was The Best Xmas Ever.

Toilet Paper. I am always delighted to receive disposable paper products like TP, paper towels, paper plates, etc.

Food: teas are always welcome. Heck, just bring me a bubble tea and I'll be thrilled! Candy is super tricky; I'd rather get a card and warm wishes than candy. Baked goods are welcome early in the season, but I really don't want a bunch of sweets in the house the week before I give up sugar altogether. (Jan 1) There are very few places I can go to eat, but I'd love gift cards for Thai Nivas, any sushi place, Panera, Cafe Mochi, or Pearl.

Food that you canned yourself. Jam, jelly, apple butter, even regular pickles (because my partner likes them) or, if you want to see me happy-cry, pickles with no garlic or onion in the mix.

Experiences: indoor things are fraught. However, if you want to give me a gift card for The London Tea Room (or better yet, offer to take me for tea) I would love it. Outdoor concerts or performances might be ok, but talk to me about it first.

Do not want:

I have a lot of post Covid issues, as well as my pre Covid IBS problems. Add in my Big Sugar Fast from Jan 1st to late March, and suddenly certain holiday standards don't work for me.

No MSG. This means soup bases, seasoning packets, salad dressings, flavored snack chips, etc. It also means no Alfredo or tomato sauces, and no mushrooms.

No garlic, onion, chocolate, coffee, or peanut. None. Zero. I can't have it in the house. Cross-contamination is a problem. If one molecule gets in the food I can't eat it. These were all things I loved to eat before Covid; now they are completely and totally ruined for me.

Try not to make me part of your Christmas cookie baking. May I suggest instead that you bake some salt dough "cookie" ornaments, and paint one to give me for my tree? Cookies and sweets are cruel unless you give them to me very early in the season.

I hope this helps.

[gtainspectors]

How is a 4-point inspection different from a mitigation inspection

People today are used to hearing big words and giving advice to others. This is why they often have life-changing ideas that they don’t even understand! When it comes to property, family and friends often emphasize the importance of getting all paperwork, verifications and owner histories checked. They often advise on the inspection part of the process, but it is a general suggestion. This is because they don’t know enough to fully understand the benefits and depth of a property inspection. A public review is also possible for all property types.

Reality hits you differently. Each house requires a different level of care. In a city like Dubai, properties can be exposed to wind strikes and other problems that could cause air contamination. Let’s now look at wind mitigation inspection to understand the differences between wind mitigation and a four-point inspection.

Wind mitigation snagging is also known as a “windstorm inspection” and involves a general visual inspection to verify the property’s resistance to windstorms. A property inspector conducts various tests and inspections to determine the house’s bearing capacity against windstorms. Wind mitigation is an essential feature in these airy areas. However, it is not a legal requirement to include wind mitigation in an overall property inspection.

A report on wind mitigation can help you determine how long-lasting your property will be and what time it might need to be renovated.

A 4-point inspection, on the other hand, is conclusive in determining if the property’s roof, electrical system, HVAC and plumbing systems are damaged. A certified home inspector inspects the four main areas of the property during such snagging. If they’re inspecting the roof, they might consider the age, type and condition. They will inspect for any mould or other damage that might have occurred due to the current situation.

This applies to both the plumbing and electrical systems. The inspector will inspect the entire wiring system and determine the potential dangers that defective wiring might pose to the house’s electrical system. The plumbing inspection would also include an assessment of the current condition of heaters and potential leaks.

This 4-point inspection will help you understand the main areas of the house and all its major systems. A 4-point inspection is a good choice for almost all property types. It can also be a great way to learn about the condition and problems of your home, whether it is an existing one or a potential one.

How can we distinguish between them? What their features are key differences.

Wind mitigation is where the roof dominates. This means that the entire snagging process would take place on, around, and under the roof. A 4-point inspection of the property covers all dimensions of the house, including the roof. The plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems. Wind mitigation takes a very short time. A 4-point inspection will take longer because it inspects four parts of the house. The factor of compulsion is another point of contradiction. The 4-point inspection is mandatory in insurance documentation even though wind mitigation can be done at will.

Last but not least, the cost difference between the two is the biggest difference. The 4-point process can be very expensive, while wind mitigation can be done at a lower budget.

As we move towards the end of this informative blog, it would be fair to say that regardless of whether it’s a buyer inspection or wind mitigation, the essence and value of any inspection comes down to how the buyer interprets the report findings. GTA Inspectors, the real-estate inspection company believes that any property inspection could be ruined if we make any mistakes. We will meet all your requirements and provide the best results.

Get in touch with us if you need a wind mitigation inspection!

[instantgardenbasement]

Household Vs Industrial Plumber Career

It's mosting likely to be rather easy to draw up via the skeletal system of the building. Industrial plumbing in Toronto, nonetheless, is a lot extra complex. There are multiple floorings, lots of bathrooms, lots of sinks and also everything becomes a whole lot more disorderly. Plumbings that serve commercial buildings have a much deeper understanding of this intricacy as well as recognize that there can be a great deal more surprises than in a solitary house. The appeal of need hot water heater is not only the removal of the tank standby losses and the resulting reduced operating costs, but also the fact that the heating system provides warm water continually.

If signs of tough water buildup show up, a water conditioner might be the long-lasting repair.

Your house's supply and drain system should constantly be two unique subsystems, without any overlapping.

Positive variation as well as submersible pumps as well as water heaters can create these too much stress.

Great communication as well as this is the way it's has constantly been when we make use of Expense Howe plumbing.

This chapter is not a plumbing code, but ought to supply a base of expertise enough to examine household systems.

Whenever steel pipeline satisfies copper or brass, the steel pipe will rapidly wear away.

We had a time sensitive repair concern and also Costs Howe understood and also helped with getting the job done rapidly. Running bathrooms that are left unchecked can cause a lot of drainage. Commodes that are leaking inside or regularly running are normally easy to identify. House owners can inspect the water levels in the dish as well as storage tank as well as pay attention for the noise of flowing or running water.

Dependable Pipes And Also Hvac Services

When a pipe bursts, the water can trigger indoor flooding as well as harm your residence. If the pipe remains in an accessible place, you will likely notice pools of water today. Nonetheless, if the pipeline is below ground or behind a wall, it may trigger lower water pressure, a sulfur smell or tarnished water. Every one of this can cause considerable damage, which is why you should always get in touch with a plumbing near you if you suspect your pipelines are leaking. First, switch off the supply of water to minimize the water damage.

Pipes Services

New tools have been developed to assist plumbing technicians take care of troubles extra efficiently. Pipes equipment includes gadgets typically behind walls or in utility spaces which are not seen by the public. It consists of water meters, pumps, expansion containers, back flow preventers, water filters, UV sanitation lights, water conditioners, water heaters, warmth exchangers, assesses, and control systems.

When you handle a complex pipes system, the potential for damages significantly raises than it would be for household. When something goes wrong in one part of the house, there's a restricted amount of damages that can be done. Mind you, it can be a great deal of damage-- like a ruptured pipe-- yet if you take that and multiply it by 30 floors, you have actually currently gone from an "oh dear" problem to an "ABANDON SHIP" level of calamity.

The S-trap and also the 3/4 S-trap (Figure 9.7) should not be used in plumbing installations. They are virtually impossible to aerate correctly, as well as the 3/4 S-trap forms an ideal siphon. It has actually been found, however, that the harsh fluids streaming in the system rust or jam these mechanical catches. Because of this, a lot of plumbing codes forbid mechanical traps. Using PVC in DWV pipe is a two-step process needing a guide and after that cement.

[waterworkscanada22]

Repair

On average, properly pumps are expected last up to 15 years. But the actual lifespan of every model will range relying on the level of sediment in your nicely, whether the pump is submersible or jet-type, and numerous different components. Some pumps might need to be changed in as little as two years. And see why we’re the most pumps repair trusted name in residential HVAC service in Ontario. Call McCrea’s and get the job done proper the primary time. Additionally, protection of pump shafts in opposition to wear and seizure may be achieved utilizing Belzona 1131 , which creates low friction surfaces because of its self-lubricating composition.

Griswold and System One pumps can be found in a variety of sizes, construction supplies and flow capacities. Our plumbers are all licensed, background checked and drug examined. When we’re on the best way, you’ll get a text to let you understand who's coming, full with a technician bio, photograph, and GPS monitoring information. A "welcome letter" shall be despatched to you inside 3 to 5 days, after registration, that may provide you with the data on tips on how to start your course. Give us a name for actual time assistance over the cellphone or set up an appointment to come back by our shop. Pure Water Canada is Manax Plumbing & Heating LTD. A family run operation.

Mike and Carlos are straightforward to cope with and pricing is honest. They are true professionals in the pump service industry. All emergency repairs or different scheduled upkeep shall be dealt with rapidly, due to our complete parts stock in addition to mobile unit stocked with instruments and alternative components. Sump pumps are reliable mechanical units used to take away accumulated water typically present in basements and so they work to resolve dampness around water tables above the foundation of homes.

I’m assured I can find the product I’m on the lookout for and it’ll be installed at the highest quality. I also respect that their merchandise are continuously evolving based mostly on consumer suggestions. Prioprity Pump Services all forms of water wells, pumps and strain methods from conventional to fixed strain. This is actually an excellent service and really cost-effective.

An hydro check on fastened reservoir consists of filling a reservoir with water with a strain ranking of 1.5 psi during a 15-minute interval, permitting us to check system resistance. NB Transit rebuilds compressors, improves valve buildings and dismantles outdated techniques. We also move gear within the case of reconstruction at a new site, and make certain the earlier web site is cleaned based on state or provincial rules. Water damage of any kind is an inconvenience for house and enterprise homeowners. The costs, each in loss because of property damage and repair, could be exponentially high.

Always Plumbing & Heating offers great service 24/7 and our certified technicians have been nationally licensed to put on the Technician Seal of Safety. Screen Debris– Here we have to guarantee we clear any screening we've to our pump inlet. This will ensure the pump is ready to have full move going to in in addition to guaranteeing pumps repair there is no further debris with the ability to get into the pump and harm it. Sump pumps are usually upkeep free themselves but we will need to look into various things to make sure a long and fear free life with the pump.

Loosen the pump from the base and slide it sideways so you'll be able to see down the well along the skin of the riser major. Use a flashlight or mirror sunlight down the well to see when you can see the water degree. Try to find out the water level in the nicely and if the pump cylinder is below pumps repair the water level. You will need to make sure that you probably can function the pump handle and pump rod in order to take a look at the pump. There may be a problem below ground that's allowing sediment to enter the pump cylinder and be pumped out with the water.

[ravewood]

Fresh Meat: part 3

Part 1 & Part 2 & Part 4

masterlist

Juice Ortiz Imagine 

The sun slowly creeped in through the blinds. You groaned turning over in bed. The spot next to you was still warm. Then you froze looking around your room. Juice kette was still hanging on your bedroom door handle. So it was real. 

you slipped out the bed grabbing Juice large black t shirt. It had a faint smell of the auto shop mixed with his cologne.  It hung over your small frame enough to cover everything that matters. You slowly crept out your room confused to where he went. He wouldn’t have left right? Not without his Kette.

You made your way over and noticed the smell of coffee filling your house. In the kitchen you found Juice laying on the ground working on the electric wires where the new dish washer was suppose to go. He looked glorious without his shirt, he only had his cargo pants on from last night that hung dangerously low. His muscles moving as he worked. 

“Good morning.” You said not really sure what to say. Your can feel your cheeks getting warm thinking about Juice from last night. You couldn’t help but start as he worked. Now all you wanted to do want jump right on him and do him right on your kitchen floor. 

“Morning darlin.” He said looking up at you with his goofy smile. 

“Made you coffee, on the kitchen island.” He said going back to working. 

“you didn't have to wake up early to work you know.” You said moving across your kitchen sitting on the bar stool. The coffee was still fresh and warm. 

“Just wanted to get it done for you.” He said ask he got up off the floor. You where surprised as you watched him push the dishwasher in . His back muscle moved making you bite your lip. 

“I guess as a thank you I’ll make breakfast?”  You asked really hoping he was going to stay. 

“Oh you cook now?”  He joked peaking over at you. His breath hitched when he noticed you where only wearing his t shirt. He tried his best to stop picture what was under neither it all. His heart was still pounding in his chest from the thoughts of last night. 

“Any special orders?” You asked walking through your kitchen. This all felt a little unreal like you two where so used to moving around each other. 

“Anything.” He said going back down to work on the new dishwasher. He would glance over at you ever here and there. It was like both of you where both waiting for the other to bring up the events from last night. But neither of you dared. 

Juice loved seeing you like this, so carefree. He liked sharing this moment with you, comfortable in your home. The sun was slowly shiny through the large glass doors that lead out yo your backyard. It made you look like an angel. Your legs looked like they where a mile long even. He would get a few sneak peaks of your bum when you’d raiser are arms trying to reach for something. Your hair was still messy throw into a bun that looks like it might just slip out at any moment. 

“Here you go, for the best auto repair man who also does plumbing and electric and security and everything.” You joked passing him a plate across the island you both stat at now. 

“Oh god, this.. is it.” Juice mumbled stuffing his face. You rolled your eyes it wasn’t much at all. Just some homemade French toast, scrambled eggs with bacon. 

“Thank you again for helping me install the new dishwasher.” You said smiling over at him. He was really your life saver being here in California all alone. You knew he was always the one person you could go to with anything. 

“Glad to help anytime.” He said walking over to you grabbing the dishes. He loaded the dishwasher before turning it on. God he was perfect wasn't he. 

“Now lets hope it works.” He joked slowly walking back over to you. You weren’t sure why but out of no where you started to feel nervous around him. Maybe because now your suddenly more aware that your only in his t shirt while he stood there only in his cargo work pants. 

“So (y/n) are we going to talk about last night?” He asked as his large arms went to either side of you as he rested against the counter, trapping you between him. Maybe he meant to trap you so you wouldn’t try and avoid talking about last night. 

“What about last night Juice?” You asked really hoping he would say something first. He just chuckled shaking his head. 

“What do you want from this (y/n)?” He asked his eyes staring deeply into yours. 

“I don’t know.” You said honestly. You didn’t know how to tell him about everything you where feeling. What if he wasn’t feeling the same and all this is ruined. You didn’t even know what all this was.

“Well I don’t know either but I really want it to happen again.” He said raising his eyebrow at you. He seemed to always do that. 

“So what? Friends with benefits?” You asked your heart skipping a beat. You didn’t know where this was going or if this was a good idea either. But you knew you just wanted more of him. 

“We can do that.” He said a little surprised you offered friends with benefits. 

“What are the benefits then?” You asked finally getting back the little bit of confidence you might have had. Your hands slowly rested on his bare chest, slowly running up to the back of his neck. 

“You can use me for whatever you need. Amazing sex or dirty house work.” Juice stated leaning even closer to you. 

“Should we make some rules or something so we don’t cross any lines or-” You asked. You knew this wasn’t a good idea. This was going to get more complicated and messy but you didn't really care at this moment. 

“Darlin you know I don’t follow rules.” Juice whispered back his lips now brushing against your own as he spoke. 

“Neither do I.” You mumbled back before pulling him down to finally kiss. This is such a bad idea. 

[deiliamedlini]

Whumptober 2021- The Darkness I Know

Chapter 1

Note: So, I decided to do the same thing I did last year, which is to turn the whumptober prompts into one continuous fic! This first chapter heading info up here is a mess! I’ll fix the next post!  Also will be posted on Ao3 (the link will only be on the chapter index page so I don’t keep forgetting to do that). These chapters are typically on the shorter side just because I am writing a chapter daily and haven’t written ahead more than the first two chapters! 

Fic Summary: After the world as she knew it was destroyed by the corruption of Malice, Zelda allies herself with her saviors from captivity: a disgruntled former governor, an alert paramedic, a cocky pilot, an excessively overt optimist, and a blind strategist. While the corrupted, malice-filled Yiga Clan looks for revenge on them, Zelda has to learn how important it is to find family in others... and how much more dangerous the stakes become if she fails to protect them.

No. 1 - ALL TRUSSED UP AND STILL NOWHERE TO GO

“You have to let go” | barbed wire | bound

Chapter Index/ Next

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean you don’t have a ruler?”

“I don’t need one.”

“What are you doing—… no!”

Never had there been a more malicious offence in Zelda’s eyes. Rulers were the key to life: they kept things straight, and they made things balanced. There was equality in every precise and calculated movement, and a delicate hand was required to hold the simple mechanism steady.

So, watching Dorian take the scissors and cut three strands of paper was like cutting straight through the muscle of Zelda’s heart.

“Why would you do that!” she screeched, more an accusation than a question. “Now they’re uneven, and they’re crooked! You’re insane!”

“It’s just a stencil, Zelda. If you want to cut the wood with a ruler, go ahead, but now we have an idea of how much we need.”

“We need to redo that. It’s not accurate.”

“I’ve been doing this since before you were born. It’s accurate enough. I can eyeball it. Do you want to fix the fence today, or no?”

Zelda grabbed their tools off the table and sulked behind Dorian as he left without waiting for her answer.

There were some battles Zelda knew she had to lose to win the war. This was one of them,

The fence was a priority to keep out anything that might have been affected with Malice from entering Mabe Village. There were so few survivors as it was.

Before the Malice had invaded Hyrule, Zelda had thought that her student loans were the biggest problem she’d have to tackle. She’d thought the money she’d spent on an apartment outside Castle Town was worth it, despite being far from her family back in Akkala. She thought there was a bright future waiting for her behind the years she’d spent in academia, trapped behind computers writing term papers and researching and experimenting and playing by others’ rules with the dream of one day making her own.

Then, the Malice spread: a thick purple substance that oozed from a seemingly endless source; a vile smell that reeked of rotting food in a broken refrigerator, and a gaseous haze that followed that made it near impossible to breathe. Worse, it corrupted any who came into direct physical contact with it for too long, and most of those affected were now dead for one reason or another.

She remembered when her car stopped working on the highway as the purple smoke filled the air on that first day four years ago. She’d stayed inside the metal hull, watching in awed horror as it engulfed her in an endless stream of fog. She ducked down below the steering wheel and listened to the crashes of other cars on the road that didn’t manage to slow down before their sight was stolen by it all. The constant ring of a jammed horn had her blocking her ears after too long.

Three days in the car, officially parched and hungry, no one had come for her. No phones worked; no drivers dared leave their vehicles. But it had become too much, and Zelda decided it was worth risking a venture outside, even amidst the lingering smoke. Her tongue was dried out and every breath of air came out in a wheezing hiss. But she’d done it.

The haze had been unpleasant and burned her eyes a fair bit, but when she stumbled into a water cooler that had fallen from a shattered car’s backseat and chugged every drink inside, she found other survivors along the side of the highway doing the same, and they all stayed together until they could reach safety.

Enter Mabe Village, four years later.

Zelda and her group had scavenged on the side of the road for almost a full year before they’d found the refuge. It was safe from the crazed bokoblins who once lived peacefully in their own territories. It had walls to prevent any of the fast-but-grounded lizalfos from scaling over. And each creature came at them with a vengeance, each fueled by contact with the Malice.

For a while, Zelda was the only engineer who could fix the solar panel garden and keep the power running. She developed as many mechanical skills as she could, fixing tools and maintaining the plumbing. She even began to learn carpentry to keep the houses upright.

Then, Dorian came in: someone with far more experience than her to help lighten her load. She slept more with him around, and he was full of energy to work through the nights when Zelda couldn’t.

“Would your mom ever let you do this?” Dorian joked as they made it to the wall and set their tools down.

Zelda, now in her mid-twenties, hadn’t seen her mom in years, but she’d learned everything from her. She thought about the blonde woman with blue eyes who used to sneak Zelda dangerous tools when she was too young to comprehend the danger. The woman who had her daughter assist her with live wires because she needed a third hand. Zelda knew how to hold a soldering pen before holding a real one.

“No,” Zelda snorted, always careful about her mother’s carelessness. “She’d let me watch, but she’d definitely be too worried about my hands.”

“Always the hands,” Dorian repeated with a joking smile.

“Always the hands.”

The two set out to fix a gaping hole in their fence, and while Dorian took the outside, the barbed wire that was laid over the wood planks to discourage any creatures from ramming into it, Zelda took the wooden boards inside.

When they were all in place, Zelda examined some of the old wood, intrigued by a perfect set of bite marks.

“Dorian! Was this Ms. Maple’s dog who did all this damage?”

She turned it over in her hand and set it down with half a mind to stride right over to the only dog owner in Mabe Village, but when she heard silence from the other side of the fence, Zelda stopped herself.

“Dorian?” When it was still silent, Zelda turned and grabbed the closest tool she could reach: a screwdriver. She glanced down to see if there was anything better, but there was only her ruler, a hammer, nails, and a second flathead.

Looking behind her, she tucked the flathead into her belt and gripped the hammer as tightly as she could before heading around the gate to check on Dorian.

He wasn’t there.

There was barely a moment to think that something might have happened to him before she was face first in the grass with a heavy pressure holding her down.

Zelda tried to buck them off of her, but they were too heavy. There was a sound of metal scraping against something, and Zelda let out a muffled scream into the grass, still trying to free herself.

“No, wait! Wait!”

Zelda’s head whipped up and she saw a large group walking towards her, each dressed in red bodysuits with a strange mask concealing their faces. The voice though… the voice was…

“Dorian!” she screamed, trying to move again. “Get help!”

His face contorted, and he bent down in front of her, but his words were addressed to whoever was behind her. “She’s useful. She’s smart, handy, talented. We need her. And she’ll understand why we did this. She smart,” he said again, nodding to her.

The man behind her hesitated. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. Positive. I’ve seen her work. I know her.”

A chill shot down Zelda’s spine, and she felt herself tugged upwards until she was sitting on her knees, face-to-face with Dorian in his red suit and a white mask atop his grey hair.

“Fine. Bring her with us. Tie her up.”

“Don’t fight, Zelda. I promise, this is just a precaution.”

She couldn’t help her body from struggling a bit, and she watched Dorian slide his mask into place.

“What’s happening? What’s happening?” Her wrists were tugged hard behind her back, and the rope was frayed enough to cut into her skin a bit.  

Dorian held out his hand, and Zelda, now bound, was handed off. “You’re with the Yiga Clan now.”

And with that, every other member of the group drew out their weapons and headed into Mabe Village while Dorian held Zelda still through her sobs for all the friends she’d never see again.

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

Vampire au?

But Tommy is the vampire.

Dream is a history nerd who wants to visit a old castle. He doesn't believe in vampires. Those are just silly old myths.

Tommy, the current owner of the castle, is very nice to Dream. Dream didn't expect the current owner to be so young , but Tommy says he's the owner not because he's the only one of the blood line left , but because he's the only one who actually stays here.

Dream doesn't know that the rest of his family is just asleep right now. As they have been for the last five hundred years.

Tommy owns the castle because he's the only one awake right now.

Lets mix it up a little. Eret and Foolish are his parents.

Reverse obsession again.

Dream accidentally cuts himself, Tommy smells the blood. Tommy gets a tiny little bit of blood. Just enough for him to get a taste for it. It tastes better than any blood he's ever had. Dream's not leaving that castle if Tommy has any say the in it.

VAMPIRE AU? I love you.

Dream honestly didn’t expect being able to find a castle to stay at so easily. He expected to have to sift through ritzy hotels and museums to find one, if he could at all. But apparently, only a few miles from his house, was one maintained and owned by some rich eccentric, Mr Gathers. He’d done some messaging and the owner seemed entirely willing to let him stay for a pittance. Dream supposed what they said about rich people being lonely was true.

When he arrived at the castle, it was dusk. Dream was honestly surprised to see the only person there to be a boy. He was tall, but in a gangly way, and had deep bags under his eyes. He was young, maybe sixteen, and while he looked sickly he was also almost eerily perfect in appearance, a doll-like delicate face framed by cherubic curls. Dream was pretty sure he was an albino, his skin almost pure white, his hair a pale, pale blond, and his eyes almost red when the light caught them.

“Hey, do you know where Mr Gathers is?” Dream asked politely.

The boy huffed and crossed his arms. “Yeah, right here, you dickhead.”

Dream laughed, in disbelief and the boy furrowed a brow. “I’m being serious, prick.”

“You don’t own a castle by yourself at fourteen, kid, no matter how rich.”

“I’m sixteen!” He insisted indignantly. “And no one else even wants to stay here. Haunted, innit?”

“Ghosts aren’t real.”

“Tell yourself that, if it makes you feel better.” The foul mouthed teen held out an immaculately manicured hand. “Anyway, you going to introduce yourself? I’m Tommy.”

“Dream,” Dream said, bemused.

Tommy toured him through the castle and it struck Dream how immaculate the whole thing was. It felt like he’d walked into an actual Renaissance-era castle, in some ways, apart from obvious modern conveniences scattered around haphazard. Dream supposed he couldn’t blame the teenager for wanting TVs and computers and proper lighting and plumbing.

What was odd was that Tommy had a lot of the guest bedrooms reserved, which he said in the vaguest way possible and refused to elaborate. Also strange was when they finished the tour. Tommy had turned to him and said, “And that’s that! Apart from the dungeons, but if you visit them that’s your own damn fault.”

“What, is that where the ghosts are?” Dream said teasingly.

Tommy shrugged. “Something like that.” For some reason, that struck Dream as odd, but he assumed it was just a joke, and headed up to his room for the night.

Life in the castle was strange. Tommy slept during the day and woke at night, which he supposed makes sense if he was albino like Dream suspected. Tommy didn’t bring anything up, but Dream went through the effort to start doing the same. The castle was eerie when he was all alone. That was another weird thing too. Dream was pretty sure he and Tommy were the only people living in the castle, but everything was always immaculate, his clothes always folded, food always provided (enough for him, Tommy seemed to eat at other times.)

Still, things were pretty cool. When Dream wasn’t walking the castle in awe, taking as many pictures as he could to send to the group chat (he’s not exactly sure Sapnap or Skeppy or Jack or Ant would appreciate it, but hopefully Niki and George and Bad and Sam) might like it.), he’d spend time with Tommy. Tommy was strange, but he was nice, though he hid it through his abrasive outer shell.

Things got strange, though, when Dream cut his finger. It was something stupid, a paper cut while reading with Tommy (he had an impressive library, Dream was pretty sure there was several massive historical finds in there, but Tommy mostly read shitty cheap new novels to laugh at them).

Dream grabbed his hand. “Can I kiss it better?”

Dream raised his eyebrows. “What? No, that’s weird. You’re, like, a baby-“

Tommy had already gone ahead, and if that was weird what happened next was weirder. Tommy grinned widely (did he always have fangs). “Mind if I have some more?”

“Tommy, stop. This weird vampire act isn’t funny.”

“Act?” Tommy laughed.

“What, are you delusional enough to think you’re actually a vampire?”

“You’re the delusional one, if you haven’t noticed,” Tommy laughed. “Look, let me show you something.” Tommy dragged Dream down into the dungeons, surprisingly strong for how frail he looked. Dream was surprised to not see the filthy, abandoned cells he expected. Instead, lying on individual altars were five people, some as young or younger than Tommy up to two who looked old enough to be his parents. Above them was an ornate portrait, showing what appeared to be the oldest of the two along with a younger Tommy, but with blue eyes, not the familiar red.

Holy shit. Holy shit, he wasn’t kidding. This was- this was honestly the fucking scrarist He turned to run, only for Tommy to grab onto his wrist, furrowing his brows. “Where are you going?” he said, genuine confusion in his voice.

“What do you think? You’re a- a monster!”

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Look, just admit you’re still baby raging over me beating you at Mario Kart last night.”

“What- no! I’m horrified because you- you shouldn’t be real! You’re a myth!” Dream was half hysterical.

“And I haven’t even introduced you yet,” Tommy mumbled in frustration, before speaking up. “Whatever weird human reason you have, you’re not leaving. Your blood tastes far too nice.”

“Let me go!” Dream shouted, desperately trying to pull free.

“Look, I’ll let you win at Mario Kart next time,” Tommy said with a shrug.

“This isn’t about Mario Kart!”

“Isn’t everything about Mario Kart? Oh, and women. The only things in the universe superior to Mario Kart. Actually-“

“Can you just shut up and explain what’s going on?!” Dream said half in terror and half in frustration. Tommy beamed.

“This is my family! There’s Eret,” he gestures to a fluffy haired brunet in an elaborate dress, “Foolish,” a copper haired, freakishly tall man, “they’re my parents. Well, my sires, but my actual parents were shite so I consider them my parents. They took me in when I was little! There’s also Tubbo,” a small boy around Tommy's age with messy mousy brown hair and severe burn scars, “Fundy,” a boy who couldn’t be any older than fourteen with long ginger hair, “and Wilbur!” a curly haired boy with a massive scar through his stomach. “They’re practically my brothers.”

“They’re sleeping. Have been for a while, we got hit by some pretty bad hunters, they need to heal. Probably won’t fully, honestly, which is shit. But they’ll wake up soon, and we can all be a real family! Oh, I’ll need some more blood bags- hey, give me your phone-“

“No!” Dream protested, but Tommy snatched it from his pocket, opening it up (did he steal his passcode) and looking at his contacts.

“Hmm… yeah, you’ve got enough people on here for me to track down. Niki… you’ve mentioned her a few times, I think she’d get along with Fundy… Jack Manifold… no one to notice him missing? Sam… ooh, he works in IT, I always wanted to know how the fuck computers work. Yeah, these'll do. Shouldn’t take too long to get them all, then everyone can wake up, and we'll be able to have some real fun then!”

If anyone else wants to send in some more AU ideas it’d be lovely and I will make them heavily involve c!primeboys no matter what and again that’s a challenge.

[beauty-and-passion]

Howdy! How have you been?

Oh, you know, the simple things that happen in a simple life, with nothing strange going on.

Okay, let's resume.

1) Once upon a time, long, long ago...

My house is big and old. Very big and very very old. And for too many years we never did any maintenance work.

The result is that we have a lot to renew now. And have I already said the house is very big?

We started with some big, general maintenance on the roof, the my brother renewed his entire apartment. And now it was time to fix a couple problems into my apartment.

The first plan was very simple, just like the small problems I had:

1) My kitchen was made of a stupidly huge dining room (16 sqm) and a teeny-tiny kitchenette (8sqm). The kitchenette came straight from 1950 and was basically a sink and a stovetop tucked in that small, squared space, half-hidden by a piece of drywall.

Since this organisation didn’t make any sense, because there were an incredibly small space to cook and a fucking ballroom to eat, we decided to tear down the drywall and make a new, larger kitchen.

2) The plumbing system of my smaller bathroom didn’t work anymore because of how old it was.

3) The bigger bathroom has never been renewed since the house has been built (1960 ca). Some parts still worked, but they were too old - especially the plumbing system.

After a long long search, in December 2021 we finally we found someone competent for an affordable price. And we decided to start working in January.

So the last part of December has been a rush against the clock to find everything: a new, custom made kitchen. Bathroom fixtures. Lamps and cabinets.

And tiles. Hundreds of tiles we had to choose. For the bathroom, sure, but also for the kitchenette, which had a different kind of tiles, compared to the kitchen. And the ones in the kitchen were the same old tiles used when my grandpa built the house - old, brown tiles.

And since we did not have enough of them for the kitchenette, we had to find new ones. And wall tiles too, for the new kitchen. And this requires some time, because these fucking tiles are expensive - and we needed them before works started, what if we didn’t get them in time?

At the end, we got them in time.

But while days passed, me and my mother had more ideas.

2) Once you start, everything follows

We know that, one day, we will have to replace the entire floor of my apartment. The tiles are very, very old. They’re too dark. Some are chipped. Sure, they’re very strong and durable - we had them for 50 years. But we still have to change them.

And so, we started to think. Since we have a new kitchen, why keeping the old tiles? But considering the structure of my apartment, we can’t change the kitchen only: we must change kitchen and corridor. And, since the corridor reaches all other rooms, we have to change them too.

But there are two big problems: the first one is that my apartment is very big (110sqm without bathrooms). And this kind of work isn’t cheap. It’s VERY expensive. That’s why we always postponed it.

But once I will have the new kitchen in place, I won’t be able to change the floor. I could try, but the process might ruin the kitchen. So, since we’re here, we decided: okay, fine, let’s replace the floor in the entire apartment.

3) A much cleaner, emptier space

Considering this, I am very sure we will end up replacing and/or throwing away a lot of stuff. We already threw away a few cabinets and a colossal dresser, all broken. I already have another black cabinet to throw away and, if I manage to do it, I will probably throw away another old closet too.

This is the best part, for me. My mother is messy and when we lived together, the house was always a chaotic mess. Things scattered all over the place, useless stuff we had to keep because “it may be useful”.

Since my brother moved in his apartment and my mother went in her apartment upstairs, I threw away tons of stuff. Old stuff, ugly paintings, things that “were useful” but no one needed. And, with this chance, I can probably throw away something else. An emptier house is easier to clean and organize - it collects less dust too! And, since I have two cats, the less dust I have around, the better it is.

4) The unexpected visitor

I’ve been smartworking from December 20th until January 31st. On January 28th, my brother got his third shot and the day after, as expected, he has all symptos associated with the vaccine: weakness, a mild fever and even a sore throat.

He was supposed to be fine the day after. He wasn’t.

Okay, maybe he just got a cold. He went jogging two days before, so maybe that’s why. And so my mother cooked him something warm and I brought it to his apartment.

On Monday (January 31st) he still had a sore throat. And he said those symptoms really looked like Omicron.

But how? He never visited anyone else and, in his job, he barely interacts with people. The only place he visited was the vaccine hub center.

And so, he did a swab test. And he was positive and highly contagious. He locked himself in his apartment, I was sent back home to do smart working again and both me and my mother did a test five days after the last contact: luckily, we were both negative.

So the mystery remains: did he got Covid while jogging with a friend? Or did he got it in the vaccine hub center - where there could’ve been several positive people? We don’t know, but luckily, after a couple days of mild fever, he got better. He’s still locked in his apartment, he still has a bit of a sore throat, but he’s okay-ish.

5) At least I saw a lot of good stuff

Encanto: this is a perfect example that Disney writers can do a good story, when they want to.

Unlike Raya, this story makes sense - also because it’s based on a book (One Hundred Years of Solitude) and a literary genre (magic realism). The events have a meaning, what happens makes sense. It’s a story in which even the smallest detail has a reason to be - like the drawing on the character’s clothes.

It’s clear the writers put a lot of love and a lot of work in this movie and it’s so nice to see a loved, polished product like this one.

Also, the songs are great especially We don’t talk about Bruno, which is a huge bop and got stuck in my head for DAYS.

Arcane: just WOW. You don’t have to be a League of Legends gamer to understand the story and I love this, because I don’t feel insulted or pushed aside because I’m not a player or a fan. This is a story anyone can watch and enjoy - and I watched, enjoyed it and got involved. I love these people, I want to see them again, I want to know more, I want another season.

The style: do I really have to talk about it? It’s sublime. It’s 3D but with a lot of hand-painted parts and even 2D parts, to reinforce this painted effect. Every scene really looks like a moving painting: it’s such a beautiful sight, it’s mesmerizing.

And I’m not talking about the camera motions, the use of slow motion, the beautiful scenes in which you’re never lost, not even into the most confusing fight... I’m a sucker for all of this and I want more.

Dr. Stone: I watched season 1&2 in two days, because I just couldn’t get enough. I HAD to know more. I HAD to watch.

I’ll admit it: during the first couple of episodes, I kept asking myself how could the protagonist have the entire knowledge of the world stored in his mind - considering he wasn’t even 18.

But then, in a way, you got the answer. And it’s a pretty simple one: repetition. He kept reading and reading, trying and failing and trying again, all the time. It’s plausible that the repetition sealed a lot of information in his mind. Also, he’s clearly a genius and I can accept he has a stronger memory.

But what I loved the most about this series, aside from the wonderful comedy (such perfect timing) and the plot twists, is the scientific approach and especially how science is seen in this series.

Science is the power, it’s the biggest power, stronger than anything, stronger than brutal force. The protagonist has science by his side and science makes him dangerous and strong.

But science isn’t a miracle that comes so easily. Science is made of trial and errors: when he tries to do something, he doesn’t always get it in his first attempt, but he has to try, multiple times. And I LOVE how he emphasizes that - it really clarifies that science is powerful, but not easy. That you can pursue it, but not give up if you don’t get it the first time. It’s a constant process of trying and trying and trying again. And I just love it. I want the third season.

A series I won’t talk about: I’m deeply afraid to talk about this series, because I’ve not finished it yet. I’ve carefully avoided any spoiler until now, but if someone spoils something, I will be ready to kill.

So let’s just say I will talk about it, once I will finish it.

[onlyganymede]

Wedding Band

Wow! First time doing an LBSC sprint challenge... 

I picked the prompt “Tan lines”, and I literally just finished editing and sprinting (I did all three rounds in one go) right now. 

Also on ao3. @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers

Marinette brushed her fringe out of the way. She was sweating, trying to pry open boxes and lift things and just be helpful. Mylène and Ivan had just moved into a new house, and while several people had agreed to help them move in, it turns out that most of them had meant that they were willing to throw a housewarming party. As for the actual moving in part—Marinette appeared to be the only one, outside of Mylène’s stoic cousin and two of Ivan’s coworkers from his fancy new job. She didn’t envy his city planning, or civil engineering, or whatever it was that he was doing. But she supposed a friendly work environment was something she was a little jealous of.

She worked to heave another large box inside from Mylène’s car (it had a lot of trunk space), and satisfied herself that she hadn’t been left with all of the easy stuff. She may be small, but she could pack quite a punch. She could lift stuff. Size was no indicator of Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s strength.

“Marinette! I’d like that over in here!” Ivan called from the next room over.

“Sure thing,” she said, walking carefully until she saw him and he relieved her arms of the box’s burden.

He set down the box and sighed, looking about. Ivan looked happy. She was glad. Moving out of the Paris city proper was nothing to scoff at. A quieter life had always seemed to suit the pair.

“How about some water? Or other refreshment? I’ve got beer, popsicles…” Ivan led her to the kitchen, where indeed the fridge was sparsely stocked with only  beverage and frozen treats.

“I’ll have a popsicle.”

Ivan handed her one, red, sure to be strawberry or cherry or something that wouldn’t be fruity so much as color, and she unwrapped it. He ducked out to go offer to everyone else, since they were working out how to get the washer and dryer through the doorway, and he thought they deserved a break too.

Marinette had just achieved a brain freeze when both Mylène and Ivan squealed in delight.

“Jules! Luka! So good of you to come!” Marinette heard Mylène say.

“Oomph!” That was Luka, probably receiving a bone-crushing hug from the hostess.

Juleka ducked into the kitchen with Ivan and Mylène’s stoic cousin, her eyebrows briefly flickering up in surprise to see Marinette there, sucking languidly on a popsicle.

“Hi Marinette. Long time no see,” she greeted.

Marinette nodded, swallowing. “Nice to see you too! How’s, y’know, life?” She gestured vaguely.

Ivan handed Juleka a beer, and cracked one open for himself as the stoic cousin filled a cup with tap water from the sink.

“Oh it’s been great. Rose and I, we’re in Germany now, but we’re planning on moving to Amsterdam next spring.” Juleka gave her a sideways glance. “Did you know she’s planning on proposing to me?”

Marinette shook her head no. “She’s seemed the type to do it, but I haven’t really been great at keeping in touch.”

Juleka smiled, taking a swig of her beer. “Little does she know I’ve also been plotting something.”

Luka walked in, Mylène in tow. “What’re you plotting, Jules?” His eyes locked on Marinette’s, and his expression seemed to flicker. “Hey, Marinette, how are you?”

That was decidedly less energetic than his conversation with Mylène had been, more uncertain, something like calm, but she’d take it.

Juleka pointedly ignored Luka to sidle up to Mylène instead.

“Oh, good. You know, designing career is picking up, and all of that. You?”

Marinette was distantly aware of the way the popsicle was melting down her fingers, and was grateful when Mylène suddenly opened the back porch door, and some of the party filtered out. She followed, Luka at her side.

His hair was wet, and his clothes were damp. But he didn’t smell of sweat like her. Nor of river water, as she might expect from his life on the houseboat. It was chlorine.

“I’ve been catching shifts as a lifeguard,” he explained. “Sorry about the pool smell.”

“It’s alright,” Marinette said. Another wave of brain freeze hit, and she with drew the popsicle, which had her fingers and lips a sticky red mess. This was terrible. She was a disaster, unable to even eat properly.

Luka got handed a beer, and then another, as Ivan made his rounds. One for him, one for her. This break was determined to be longer than ten minutes. Marinette didn’t mind. The day was warm and the company was good.

She was fine, seeing Luka now. Until she glanced at his hand, the one holding her beer for when she was done with her messy popsicle, and saw his ring finger. Somewhere in Luka’s work as a lifeguard, he had probably gotten his tan, that was to be expected. But here… there were tan lines around where a wedding band should be. Where one apparently did sit, if Luka wasn’t in the pool or about to help lift heavy objects.

So much for reconnecting. Marinette had always hoped that one day, she’d see him again, and that one day, she’d be able to work up the nerve to flirt, to take chances.

“You good?” He asked, aware that her mind had gone elsewhere.

“Oh! Yeah, I’m fine. You know how it is! Brain freezes!” Marinette defended.

Luka’s eyes only sparkled with mirth. “Right, right.”

“Um, if you don’t mind my asking,” Marinette bit down on the popsicle this time, and quickly licked up the trails of red juice before continuing, “who…?” She indicated the tan lines. The spot where his wedding band should’ve been.

“Who…?” Luka’s brow was furrowed, not processing. She knew he wasn’t teasing, Luka never would. Marinette was about to clarify, to tell him that she didn’t know he was married, when—

“Oh. Oh!” Luka exclaimed, coming to the realization about what she was asking. “I’m not actually married,” his cheeks grew warm, “it’s just that sometimes when I’ve been on tour, the attention just gets to be a bit much, and so I bought myself a cheap ring to wear. People can’t tell it isn’t legit, and I guess it just became a part of me.” He looked at his finger, holding onto her beer and his, inspecting the tanned skin on either side of the band of white.

“Ah.” Marinette didn’t know what to say, other than she had jumped to a conclusion, again.

“Hey Ivan!” One of Ivan’s coworkers called. “We got the machines in, and we need to know where the laundry plumbing is so we can help you hook them up.”

Ivan walked back in the house, and Mylène took that as a cue to guide Juleka back in too. The stoic cousin had already vanished back inside either to help move the machines or for more tap water.

Just Luka and Marinette, outside and alone.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you think—” Luka started, as Marinette said:

“I just wondered because I—”

They both looked at each other, sheepish, and started to laugh.

Marinette’s popsicle was practically slush at this point, and Luka guided her back inside so he could set down the beers and turn on the kitchen sink for her to wash her hands. Her face burned as she watched him pluck the popsicle stick from her fingers, eat the rest off, and throw it away, all with a grin aimed in her direction.

“You first,” Luka said.

Marinette dried her hands, and then folded the towel back up nicely. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I haven’t seen you in a while, and so, well, I’m really glad you aren’t married.”

Luka clearly hadn’t been expecting that, but maybe he had been hoping, just like her.

“I am glad too. I’m sorry you thought that, even for a moment. I never expected you to wait for me or anything, but I’m glad to be available when you are.”

Marinette smiled at him. “Me too. Maybe you want to grab a bite with me when we’re done here and catch me up on your studio work?”

“I’d love to,” Luka smiled back, opening her beer and then his. He touched his bottle to hers in cheers.

“And maybe if things go well that tan line won’t have to go away?” Marinette asked in one breath, rushed words blending together.

Luka almost choked on his drink, grinning again. “I didn’t know you had been pining that badly!”

“Luka! Don’t tease!” But Marinette, too, was grinning like a fool.

[rory-for-short]

New Crossings New Horizons: Part 3

TELL ME WHY I DECIED TO MAKE PART THREE THE START OF A SLOW BURN PLOT WITH NOOK AND THE READER I HATE MYSELF BUT ALSO IM HAVING FUN. 

So the plan is to make a community out of this island over the span of one summer and a fall semester. Nook had explained that there were more generators arriving in the nest few days. It was up to you all to figure out how housing would work. The list went on and on from pod homes, tiny houses, campers, and prefab homes. Tiny homes won. With a stipulation. We would start with them, then upgrade to prefabs later on. It would be easier to run tiny homes with the starting generators until we could figure out an electricity grid, and work on a plumbing/ well system for now. Nook seemed happy with this decision, and in the meantime, you and Cherry went out to collect wood and supplies while Apollo and Bob offered to find food.

“Hey imma trap some bears maybe there will be a zoo eventually,” announced Timmy jokingly.

“You and what bear trap,” Tommy snickered.

“I have several yards of rope, that's all I need,” Timmy smirked, uncoiling some thick rope from a knot.

“You kids be careful and stay close to camp. Me and Y/N are going south to find some wood,” Cherry informed.

You had already gotten some rope and packs yourself so that you could tie up logs into a bunch for easier carrying.

“Me and Bob are setting up snares to the west. All for small game but still, watch your footing if you are going up our way,” Apollo warned before everyone parted ways. You and Cherry managed to not only find wood, but also collected a tote of wild strawberries. Soon evening was upon you. Cherry mentioned heading back now before it got too dark, so the two of you started heading back. You were walking in front of Cherry leading your way back to camp when you lost your footing and found yourself stepping in a snare. Apollo and Bob must have really covered their ground, because you two were nowhere near the west of camp. Yet here you were, dangling and suspended ten feet off the ground from a tree.

“Y?N! Are you alright?” Cherry exclaimed as she ran for you dropping strawberry filled tote and running towards your dangling form.

“Yeah, I think I’m good...Just hanging around,” you smirked half expecting a rim shot. “It looks like the guys had covered more area than we thought,” you reasoned. Your current position was impressive, and uncomfortable. There was currently a rope around your arms and torso that made moving your arms impossible. At least you weren’t hanging by the neck. You could deal with some rope across your chest and restraining your arms as long as you could breath. You counted that as a blessing.

“Do you see a place to cut me down?” you called to her. Cherry began to scurry around the base of the trunk and nearby trees.

“I don't see any rope down here. It’s like it's on you and the branch and just nothing. There should be some rope down here for easy release right?,” the small girl panicked as she darted to and fro, hurriedly searching for the end of the rope to cut you down. Yet nothing was found. Great. You sighed in frustration. As cool of a trap as it was, you could feel your arms being construed and knew you’d have bruising from the rough rope.

“Go get the guys at camp. They can get me down, they set the trap afterall. But be quick it's getting dark,” you warned. Cherry nodded and sped towards camp. Hopefully she could get to them fast and not leave you dangling all night. Not five minutes after she disappeared, you began hearing rustling in bushes. The hairs on your neck stood up.

“ah-Apollo? That you?” you asked meekly. No reply. To be fair it was a bit windy, and you reasoned that you being alone at night with visibility getting lower, you were starting to be on edge. However, that didn't keep your eyes from darting to every little sound. Ten minutes in and your arms really started to hurt. Not to mention it was getting dark-dark, not just late-evening-dark. Just then, you saw a flashlight coming from the direction of camp moving steadily towards you

“Y/N! Kid! Where are you?” called the voice of none other than Tom Nook. Well thank you for the backup, Cherry, but what luck would Nook have at figuring out an Apollo snare?

“Over here Mr. Nook!” you call meekly from the tree severely doubting Cherry’s judgment at the moment. His flashlight beam landed on you and you squinted at the sudden change of light.

“Oh thank god! I'll have you down in a minute kid, don't you worry,” he said voice dripping with concern. You weren’t really worried about being stuck up here all night, except for the fact you had no idea where the rope release was.

“Cherry couldn’t find the release. I doubt you'll have much luck in the dark Mr. Nook” you reasoned.

“Who do you think taught Timmy to set a trap? Don't worry, the end of the rope should be about shoulder height on one of these trees behind you.” he explained as he disappeared into the shadows behind you.

“Timmy?! I thought this had to be Apollo’s handy work,” you were slightly impressed and it was notable in your tone..

“Don’t tell Timmy that. I’ll go straight to his head. Okay Y/N, get ready and brace yourself,”

“Do wha-” and at that you were crashing down ten feet to the ground. You landed awkwardly on your heel at an angle and yelped a bit in both pain and surprise. Tom Nook was beside you in a blink.

A look of worry stained his features as he knelt near you. You were trying to shrug off the now significantly looser rope. Red marks and bruises were already forming on your upper arms and forearms.Pain surged through your foot. A look of horror washed over your face as you feared it might be sprained, rolled, or worse, broken.

“Sorry that landing sounded rough. Here, let me help you up. Your arms aren't looking too good either,” he noted as he scanned your bruised arms. He extended his hand to help you on your feet when pain shot through your leg, calf and foot. You winced and your step faltered. Tom noticed and held your arm a little tighter.

“You landed bad didn’t you? You think you can make it back to camp on that ankle?”

You hesitated a moment before answering.

“Uh, ye-yes I’ll be fine,” you said through gritted teeth as you tried to adjust your steps to be less painful. However, your attempted step caused another shrug of pain all the way from the heel of your foot up your calf. You suppressed a yelp. Your eyes, now watering from the injured muscles that betrayed you, met Nooks and you could tell he knew you weren’t actually all that fine.. You sheepishly looked down and away.

“You can’t walk back, can you?” he sighed. It was more of a statement than a question. A beat of silence fell between you and he finally resolved.

“Alright, I’m too old for bridal style so you’ll have to get on behind me,” he reasoned.

“What? No,- come on we can try walking-” but the ankle was already starting to swell and Nook gave you that Dadtm look that stopped you dead in the middle of your sentence.  A look he probably mastered by practicing it on Timmy and Tommy. The kind that said ‘I’m not arguing kid, do as I say’. You sighed as he crouched in front of you. You reached your arms around his shoulders and despite claiming to be an old man, he lifted you pretty effortlessly. Which should have taken more effort, you were a full grown woman after all. You, at this point, were red in the face and you knew it. It was a pretty embarrassing predicament, having the decider of your future employment carry you on his back through the woods like some kid that scraped their knee. How were you gonna hide the red face at camp? You didn’t know, but hoped everyone would be in bed already.

“Sorry Mr. Nook, I should have been more careful,” you muttered into his shoulder. You felt his chuckle resonate through his back and into your chest.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I was the one who dropped you too suddenly after all… and everyone calls me Nook or Tom. You don't have to call me ‘mister nook’ you know,” he answered softly.

You nodded into his shoulder and you both approached the camp. You saw everyone waiting on the two of you sitting around the fire with cooked fish and rabbit.

“Oh great. Looks like he managed to break her further,” Timmy laughed, elbowing Tommy. Nook shot Timmy a glare.

“I got her out of the “bear trap” YOU set. Really Timmy, if you are going to set snares, annonce them to the general populace so no one gets hurt,” Nook scolded with you still on his back, as he walked over to where everyone was sitting and eating. Red face was a go, but you could probably blame it on the injury and fire light. Nook helped you to sit on the log seating as Bob handed a plate your way. AT\t that moment you realize just how hungry you were.

“Catch of the day, besides you of course,” Bob snickered and you gave a light laugh.

“First I gotta splint up this ankle,” you explained.

“Ill get the first aid kit,” Cherry offered and scampered towards the main tent. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Nook a few inches from Timmys face, looking like he was hardcore chewing him ou in a hushed tonet. Now it was Timmy's turn to be embarrassed.

[takaraphoenix]

Buffy Season 10: Review

Not gonna lie, I am entirely biased here. As a Spuffy shipper, this season was basically... everything I could dream of and then some more. And that’s just the ship-stuff. The story itself? The development of the overarching plot? I’m just so in love with season 10, it ain’t even funny anymore.

But let’s do this chronologically.

Bringing back Anya as a ghost... hurt. A lot. And, okay, I’ll say her ending was not great. Really tired of women dying, especially women dying for Xander. Starting to think there might be an actual curse involved here. I wish she could have gotten to live and could have gotten her chance to make her own life.

XANDER. Okay. I can’t put into words how much I loved that. Last season, I got increasingly more uncomfortable with Xander’s writing because it was really just two steps away from making him an abusive partner. That he actually went to therapy and is actively working on his issues. The improvement. The growth. Love to see it.

Dracula was decidedly less offensive this season. That was... minorly improved.

Andrew attemting to resurrect Tara put genuine tears in my eyes though. That hurt. And it also... it made sense? He’s been so desperately trying to redeem himself. Still, this one was a gut-punch. Which is a compliment to the writing, it was a well-delivered gut-punch.

Surprising to literally no one, I am absolutely living for the Love Dares You plotline. Buffy taking a mind-journey into Spike’s inner thoughts? Seeing the bad, but also the good? And even as the demon was trying to control him, she managedd to bring him back. Damn. That. That’s the kind of thing I’d go seek out in fanfiction, but legitimately never expected to encounter in canon.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Andrew’s coming out. I mean, on the one hand, yes we all knew he was gay, the show’s not been super subtle about that. On the other hand, as a gay person, I am very much not a fan of straight people going “I knew all along” and the amount of characters who did this with Andrew, to his face, was starting to get frustrating.

The... rift between Willow and Buffy felt very much “I told you so”, I mean... Buffy was right. In the end, she turned out to be right. And that was obvious from the get-go. I’m glad that they didn’t have a bigger blow-out about this, because that would have been frustrating with just how painfully obviously Buffy was right. The military is not your friend. A lesson they both should have learned many years ago, so it baffles me that Willow so blindly leaned into it. Yes, admittedly, the resources were useful and Willow did a lot of good with them, but she was relying a little too heavily on support from them, as could be seen by the way things came apart.

The thing with D’Hoffryn and how it played out was also... very much projected from the get go. And again, Buffy was right. She was the most vocal about not giving the council the powers and while much of what she said to her friends in the blow-out was low and unfair, I do think she had a point in that Giles and Willow, who advocated for giving the council the powers, ought to have read the freaking fine print in the council’s contracts. Still, not a fan of how much steam Buffy blew off by blaming others and putting all blame away from herself.

Dawn actually being... majorly useful is... new. Interesting. The fact that her being the key actually came into play? Damn. And her being a goddess in another dimension? I surprisingly really enjoyed her little side-quest. Her and Xander bringing buildings, plumbing, theater and therapy to the demon-dimenson was hilarious. And that, in the very end, Dawn got to keep her powers, even in our dimension? Very nice touch. I dig it.

Okay now that all of this is out of the way, let me talk about Spuffy.

I love them so much. I said I’d be biased here, okay? But... oof, this has been a ridiculously slow-burn. Comics came out in 2016, that makes it a fiteen years long slow-burn. Add five years because I only got around to reading them now.

They are so... soft. Just, them holding each other, leaning onto each other? Waking up with each other? But it’s not just all smooth. It’s awkward. They’re both afraid. They’re both flawed and have their own issues.

I can’t put into words how much I loved when Spike wanted to break up with Buffy. And she’s just like “no”. Puts a pin in it. Things hard about it. And actually uses her words. Admitting how hard this is, admitting her issues, even admitting that she’s relieved Spike is scared too because that makes two of them. And both of them being willing to work it out together. Fight for this relationship.

I also loved the return of Dylan, or rather the way she returned. When she first popped up at the bar, I thought this was going to be used for a misunderstanding and jealousy and such. Instead Spike’s being a total awkward bean who’s like “I have a girlfriend” right away? And Dylan invites him to the gallery opening. And Buffy teases him about having a friend. No jealousy. Heck, even Buffy pointing out that since they had gotten together, they have been working with three of her exes. No jealousy when she meets Dylan either. They even seemed to be getting along. I loved this. I love the idea of Spike just having friends.

I love the way Spike and Buffy’s relationship is developing. And - something I might love nearly as much as the Spuffy - they did my favorite angle fo the found family trope. The one where they all live together. Finally all the Scoobies share a house. Well, not all. Andrew’s still over in Oakland. But having Giles, Xander and Spike (in the same apartment. Amazing), Willow, Buffy and Dawn all live under the same roof makes me incredibly happy?

I’m just, overall, really loving season 10. The writing was amazing. There was so much happening - but not in a convoluted manner that makes it confusing or overwhelming, it was all woven in together so well. It just felt that I consumed three seasons, not just one.

I can’t wait to see what season 11 has in store.